The Hockey Roommate's Filthy Desire novel Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Chapter 30

JULIAN’S POV

61

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By the time I returned to the apartment, the anger from my parents‘ house still burned in my chest.

The drive back had done nothing to calm me. If anything, it had made everything worse. My mother’s words echoed in my head like a broken record.

That girl is trouble. She will ruin your future.

I slammed the car door harder than necessary and ran a hand through my hair as I walked toward the

entrance.

How dare they think that they could threaten me? I had always hated it there. Being an only child came with so many responsibilities, ones I didn’t want but fell on my shoulders anyway.

And now, they thought they could take my happiness away from me. Well they had another thing coming. The moment I stepped inside, the silence felt wrong.

Too quiet. “Aria?” I called. No answer. My chest tightened slightly. I stepped further into the living room, scanning the space automatically. Empty.

My jaw clenched. “Aria.” Still nothing. A sharp wave of irritation rushed through me. Then something darker followed right behind it. Panic.

My first instinct told me she had left. The thought hit me like a punch to the ribs. “Damn it,” I muttered under my breath. Several possibilities flashed through my mind all at once.

What if she had gone back to Luca? What if my confession had made her so uncomfortable that she decided to leave? What if she had walked out without anywhere to go?

What if she was wandering the streets right now because of me? My heartbeat sped up as I moved quickly through the apartment. Bedroom. Empty.

Bathroom. Nothing.

C

room. Still nothing.

Each empty space made the tight knot in my chest pull tighter. “Aria,” I called again, louder this time. No response. My hands curled into fists. Then I headed toward the kitchen.

And that was when I heard it. Laughter. Light. Bright. Familiar. I froze mid–step. Then I walked into the kitchen doorway. And the

he sight in front of me made my blood instantly boil. Aria was sitting on the

kitchen counter.

And standing for years.

across from her was Blake. My best friend. They were talking like they had known each other

Blake was leaning casually against the counter, animatedly telling some story while Aria laughed.

Actually laughed. The kind of soft, genuine laugh that made her eyes crinkle slightly at the corners. My jaw tightened immediately. Blake had always been the easygoing one. Funny. Charming. The kind of guy who could make women laugh without even trying

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Chapter 30

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Half the girls in college liked him simply because he could walk into a room and lighten the mood instantly. And judging by the way Aria was laughing right now…He was doing exactly that.

Something ugly stirred inside my chest. The urge to walk over there and drag him away from her by the collar was almost overwhelming.

Before I realized it, I had taken a step forward. That was when Blake noticed me. His voice stopped mid- sentence. His eyes widened slightly. “Well, damn,” he said.

Aria turned her head. Our eyes met. Her laughter faded instantly. But unlike Blake, she didn’t look surprised. Just… guarded. Almost indifferent.

At least, that’s what she was trying to look like. The tension from earlier still hung between us. Blake cleared his throat awkwardly. “Uh… hey man.” I didn’t respond.

My gaze remained fixed on Aria. Finally I spoke. “Blake.” He straightened slightly.

“Yeah?”

“Get out.” He blinked. Then he looked between the two of us. A slow, mischievous grin spread across his

face.

“Ah,” he said knowingly. He pushed himself away from the counter. “Got it.” As he walked past me, he leaned slightly closer and murmured just loud enough for me to hear.

“Try not to kill each other.” Then he winked. And left. The kitchen suddenly felt much quieter. For a moment, neither of us spoke. Aria slid off the counter. Like she was preparing to leave.

But I moved faster. Within seconds I was standing right behind her. Close enough to feel the warmth of her body. Her entire posture stiffened instantly.

“I’m going to my room,” she said quickly.

She tried to step away. But I caught her wrist. Not harshly. Just enough to stop her. “Julian-” Before she could finish, I pulled her slightly closer. Then I lowered my head.

And buried my

face in the crook of her neck. Her entire body froze. I breathed in slowly. Her scent filled my lungs. Soft. Warm. Familiar. And somehow… calming. “Don’t move,” I murmured quietly.

Her breathing grew uneven.

“Julian–what are you doing?”

“Just stay.” My voice came out rougher than I expected. The truth was simple. The moment I walked into that empty apartment and thought she had left….Something inside me had snapped.

The rage from my parents‘ house. The panic of not finding her. The jealousy when I saw her laughing with Blake. All of it had built up into something I couldn’t control.

But standing here now… Holding her like this….It was like someone had finally pressed a switch inside me. The anger slowly faded. The tension in my shoulders loosened.

My breathing steadied. And for the first time since leaving my parents‘ house….I felt calm again. Aria didn’t move. She stayed still in my arms.

Probably out of shock. Probably unsure what to do.

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